As early as 1830, Père Lachaise became a bona fide tourist attraction. It was considered an appropriate place for a family cultural excursion: edifying and a source of national pride. Two centuries later, Père Lachaise is the most visited cemetery in the world, with an estimated 3.5 million visitors each year.
The most popular (and most controversial) resident of Père Lachaise is American singer Jim Morrison of The Doors. After he died in a Paris bathtub — the official cause was listed as heart failure, although no autopsy was performed — Morrison was buried in an unmarked grave in Père Lachaise. Various monuments have marked his grave over the years, all of which have been stolen. Currently, the grave is marked by a granite cube with an epitaph in Greek that translates to "True to his own spirit."
